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Constantly on this forum I am hearing people slating fighters like Joe Calzaghe and Chris John for staying at home and fighting rather than going to the States. But we hear virtually nothing about the fact that many US fighters NEVER fight outside of the States. This even extends to 'legends' like Roy Jones Jr, Sugar Ray Leonard, Oscar De La Hoya and Floyd Mayweather, none of whom have fought a single fight outside of the good ol' US of A. Now if you say they're not fighting in their backyard because they move around the country - well Joe Calzaghe has fought in Newcastle, Manchester, Edinburgh, Sheffield, Bristol and London, as well as having fought in Denmark and Germany (against a guy that only he had previously defeated and whom had stopped Charles Brewer) - something Roy Jones dared not do for fear of being robbed.
But it's not only Americans that feel this way. Chris John has got virtually no recognition whatsoever for his victory over Marquez apparently because it was in Indonesia. Say what you want about that fight, but it was an extremely close one. If it's unfair to expect Marquez to travel all that way why is the reverse not so?
Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying that the Americans I stated above don't deserve the recognition they've got. They were and are all great fighters. But ulitmately, why does it matter where a fight is held? If the standard of opposition is good then it shouldnt matter. Ali managed to fight all over the world and win, because he was good enough.
And if you say that in America you never get a duff decision, how's about these beauties? Oscar De La Hoya/Shane Mosley 2, Lennox Lewis/Evander Holyfield 1, Vernon Forrest/Ike Quartey, Johnny Tapia/Manuel Medina, Everett/Escalada, Kid Gavilan/Johnny Saxton, Foreman/Briggs etc etc. I could go on. Now of course there are bad decisions that happen away from the States too, but there are just as many that happen on the Strip and around the country as happen abroad.
Now, a fair criticism of Calzaghe would be that he's never fought a great fighter. That's fair enough. But to criticise him and others for WHERE they fought them is, frankly, moronic.
But it's not only Americans that feel this way. Chris John has got virtually no recognition whatsoever for his victory over Marquez apparently because it was in Indonesia. Say what you want about that fight, but it was an extremely close one. If it's unfair to expect Marquez to travel all that way why is the reverse not so?
Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying that the Americans I stated above don't deserve the recognition they've got. They were and are all great fighters. But ulitmately, why does it matter where a fight is held? If the standard of opposition is good then it shouldnt matter. Ali managed to fight all over the world and win, because he was good enough.
And if you say that in America you never get a duff decision, how's about these beauties? Oscar De La Hoya/Shane Mosley 2, Lennox Lewis/Evander Holyfield 1, Vernon Forrest/Ike Quartey, Johnny Tapia/Manuel Medina, Everett/Escalada, Kid Gavilan/Johnny Saxton, Foreman/Briggs etc etc. I could go on. Now of course there are bad decisions that happen away from the States too, but there are just as many that happen on the Strip and around the country as happen abroad.
Now, a fair criticism of Calzaghe would be that he's never fought a great fighter. That's fair enough. But to criticise him and others for WHERE they fought them is, frankly, moronic.
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